(BAM) Announces Its 2008 Spring Season Featuring Ten Theater, Music, Dance, and Opera Engagements

Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) announces its 2008 Spring Season featuring ten theater, music, dance, and opera engagements

BAM 2008 Spring Season is sponsored by Bloomberg

International theater productions: The return of director Deborah Warner and actress Fiona Shaw with the National Theatre of Great Britain’s lauded production of Samuel Beckett's Happy Days...... page 5

Shakespeare's Macbeth, starring Patrick Stewart—the acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre production, in its U.S. premiere, directed by Rupert Goold...... page 7

The groundbreaking 1972 South African drama Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, by Athol Fugard and Tony Award-winning actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona—directed by Aubrey Sekhabi—featuring the play's original cast...... page 12

Dynamic music events: The legendary rhythm & blues/gospel singer Mavis Staples, in a one-night-only performance...... page 6

Brooklyn Next, in its second year, showcases the borough's diverse music scene with BAM performances by Soulive, Citizen Cope, and The National, as well as family shows featuring Dan Zanes and Friends, and two weekends of music at BAMcafé and Brooklyn clubs...... page 9

Singular dance engagements: The New York premiere of the State Ballet of Georgia, led by celebrated ballerina Nina Ananiashvili, in two programs featuring new work by renowned choreographers Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Possokhov...... page10

2 Acclaimed Brazilian dance troupe Grupo Corpo in a program that includes two New York premieres by choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras...... page 11

DanceAfrica—in its 31st year under the direction of Chuck Davis—featuring The Gambia's Ceesay Kujabi and the Bachinab, Atlanta's Giwayen Mata, Harlem's LaRocque Bey School of Dance Theatre, Inc., and Bed-Stuy’s BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble...... page 13

The Joyce Theater presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at BAM, in two exhilarating programs—Classic Ailey; and a repertory program, Best Of— including a new work by choreographer Camille A. Brown...... page 15

An enchanting comic opera: Director Jonathan Miller’s staging of Cimarosa's delightful opera buffa, Il matrimonio segreto, features the Brooklyn Philharmonic led by conductor Paul Goodwin...... page 14

Complemented by film, humanities, music, and visual arts events

Brooklyn, NY/Oct 24, 2007—Joseph V. Melillo, executive producer of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, today announced programming for the 2008 Spring Season, which runs from Jan 8–June 8, 2008. The Season comprises ten theater, music, dance, and opera engagements—supplemented by BAMcinématek series, BAMcafé Live weekend music performances, humanities and family programming, visual art events, the return of the Sundance Institute at BAM, and BAM’s participation in the Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD performance transmissions.

Spring Season subscription and Friends of BAM tickets are on sale Oct 29. Subscription tickets for the general public are on sale Nov 5. Single tickets for Happy Days, Mavis Staples, and Brooklyn Next are on sale for Friends of BAM on Nov 26 and for the general public on Dec 3. All remaining single tickets are on sale for Friends of BAM on Dec 17 and for the general public on Jan 2. For ticket information, call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100 or order tickets online at BAM.org.

BAM Executive Producer Joseph V. Melillo commented, “The Spring Season’s offerings are as rich as they are diverse, with notable artistic achievers and innovators joining us for the first time: we welcome acclaimed British director Rupert Goold and the incomparable Patrick Stewart; the State Ballet of Georgia and its artistic director, renowned ballerina Nina Ananiashvili; premiere BAM appearances by pop music’s The National, Soulive, Citizen Cope, and the legendary vocalist Mavis Staples. This season will also mark the first BAM presentation by our colleagues at The Joyce Theater—with the long-awaited return of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to our stages.

“We also celebrate the return of esteemed artistic colleagues this spring: director Deborah Warner and actress Fiona Shaw—who last mesmerized BAM audiences with Medea; actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona, reprising their 1972 roles in Sizwe Banzi Is Dead—a powerful anti-apartheid drama they created with playwright Athol Fugard; Brazil’s renowned contemporary dance ensemble Grupo Corpo will return to delight our audiences once again; and director Jonathan Miller returns to BAM with his engaging production of the comic opera Il matrimonio segreto. DanceAfrica, the BAM performance series now in its 31st year, will feature a visiting troupe from The Gambia and a weekend of popular annual festivities.

“Our mainstage productions will be complemented by informative humanities events, acclaimed BAMcinématek series, free weekend music performances, and visual art exhibitions and partnerships. We look forward to seeing you here at BAM this spring.”

BAM President Karen Brooks Hopkins added, “BAM would like to thank Bloomberg L.P. for sponsoring our Spring Season for the third time. We appreciate their generosity—and that of our Spring Season donors—as well as their commitment and enthusiasm for the range and diversity of BAM’s programs.”

Bloomberg L.P. is a leading financial information services, news and media company, serving customers around the world through the BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL® service and media services. Bloomberg's media services include 3 the global BLOOMBERG NEWS® service, the 24-hour business and financial BLOOMBERG TELEVISION® network, BLOOMBERG RADIOSM services, BLOOMBERG MARKETS® magazine and BLOOMBERG PRESS® books for investment professionals.

BAMcinématek The highlights of BAMcinématek spring programming include a comprehensive survey of Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira’s work in celebration of his centennial. Oliveira is still actively directing and our survey will cover works from his first film in 1931 to his current renaissance, starting with I’m Going Home (2001). In addition, BAMcinématek programs include The Best of Youth, highlighting debut features from Italy—many as New York premieres; Edward Lachman, films shot by cinematographer Edward Lachman who worked with directors such as Wim Wenders, Todd Haynes, Steven Soderbergh, Robert Altman, and Nicholas Ray; and 30 Years: J. Hoberman, a celebration of this Village Voice film critic’s 30 years at the alternative weekly. Hoberman will be curating the selection of films.

Leadership support for BAMcinématek is provided by Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg Charitable Trust. Major sponsors for BAMcinématek are HIP & Freelancers Union.

BAMcafé Live The BAMcafé Live series on Friday and Saturday nights presents performances by stylistically diverse artists—both established and up-and-coming. For the second year in a row, BAMcafé Live participates in Brooklyn Next (Feb 16, 22, and 23), BAM’s borough-wide celebration of new music and art. Additional BAMcafé Live highlights include a musical celebration of Arabic culture as part of the Brooklyn MaQam Festival curated by the Brooklyn Arts Council’s Folk Arts Program (Mar 7) and the New Genius Music Gallery series (Apr 18, 19, and 25), showcasing debut work by three emerging composers. BAMcafé Live events have no cover charge and no drink minimum, making these eclectic events completely free of charge. The recently refurbished BAMcafé (30 Lafayette Ave) now features comfortable and attractive lounge furniture provided by west elm.

ConEdison is the BAMcafé Live sponsor. Additional support is provided by Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. BAMcafé piano provided by Deutsche Bank. Programming in BAM Lepercq Space is supported by The Lepercq Foundation.

BAMart This spring, BAMart will present a series of exhibitions highlighting local artists as well as collaborations with local arts organizations—including Brooklyn Next Art, featuring photographs by Fran Kaufman, curated by Brooklyn artist Danny Simmons. Also taking place this spring is the 4th annual BAMart Silent Auction—featuring works from emerging artists and modern masters—as well as the release of BAM Photo Portfolio III in partnership with Serge Sorokko Gallery, San Francisco. All proceeds support BAM programming. For complete information visit BAM.org/BAMart.

Humanities BAMdialogues are an informal series of discussions with BAM’s innovative theater, dance, and music artists. Cultural commentators, scholars, and critics interview the artists, providing provocative and spirited discourse. Six sessions with Spring Season artists are scheduled. Post-show dialogues are free for same-day ticket holders and take place in the performance venue. Pre-show dialogues are $8 ($4 for Friends of BAM). Fiona Shaw (Happy Days), January 10, post-show Rupert Goold (Macbeth), Feb 15 at 6pm, Hillman Attic Studio Patrick Stewart (Macbeth), Feb 17, post-show Rodrigo Pederneiras (Grupo Corpo), Mar 27 at 6pm, BAM Rose Cinemas John Kani and Winston Ntshona (Sizwe Banzi Is Dead), Apr 10, post-show Jonathan Miller (Il matrimonio segreto), May 29 at 6pm, Hillman Attic Studio

On June 5, following the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performance in the Howard Gilman Opera House, there will be a Q&A with Judith Jamison and Camille A. Brown (moderator will be announced).

BAMtalks are panel discussions on current issues in the arts. “Theater in South Africa: The New Millennium” will examine South African’s artistic landscape fourteen years after the end of apartheid. John Kani, Winston Ntshona, and others will join an in-depth discussion. Visit BAM.org for panelist updates. 4 April 12 at 3pm, Hillman Attic Studio, $10 ($5 for Friends of BAM)

BAMfamily BAMfamily, BAM Education & Humanities’ spring weekend series for children and adults, features arts programming as diverse and adventurous as BAM’s mainstage productions. Now entering its tenth season, BAMfamily was created to share innovative or unfamiliar art forms with families at an affordable price. This season BAMfamily begins with the return of Dan Zanes and Friends as part of the Brooklyn Next music series on Feb 24 at 11am and 2pm. The season also includes the popular BAMkids Film Festival which celebrates its tenth anniversary on March 8 & 9 with more than 40 films from around the world. Also, the BAMfamily Book Brunch, a junior version of the successful Eat, Drink & Be Literary series will take place on April 12 at noon. The afternoon will include a kid-friendly buffet lunch, live music, and a reading by an acclaimed children’s author, followed by a Q&A, and a book signing. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for children fifteen and under (including lunch, tax, and tip).

MetLife Foundation is the presenting sponsor for BAMFamily and BAM Humanities programs

Eat, Drink & Be Literary BAM’s popular Eat, Drink & Be Literary program, presented in partnership with The National Book Awards, brings major contemporary authors to BAMcafé for evenings featuring intimate dinners, readings, and discussions. Authors for Spring 2008 include Chinua Achebe, André Aciman, Peter Carey, Deborah Eisenberg, Fran Lebowitz, George Saunders, and Charles Simic with moderators Bradford Morrow, and Aoibheann Sweeney, Edward Hirsch, and Harold Augenbraum. Tickets, priced at $48 per event (including dinner, wine, tax, and tip) go on sale Nov 19 (Nov 12 for Friends of BAM).

Bloomberg is the presenting sponsor for Eat, Drink & Be Literary. Pine Ridge Wine is generously donated by Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg. The New York Times Community Affairs Department is the media sponsor.

Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD This year, Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD will reach more than a million people worldwide, and BAM will participate in this second season with eight transmissions at BAM Rose Cinemas. BAMcafé will offer brunch—two hours prior to the screenings—featuring a distinguished guest speaker to introduce the work and lead an audience Q&A. Tickets for screenings are $22 ($20 for BAM and Met Members); tickets for brunch & screening are $42 ($40 for BAM and Met Members). Tickets for this series go on sale Nov 9 (Oct 29 for Friends of BAM and BAM Cinema Club members). Roméo et Juliette, Dec 15 at 1pm (brunch at 11am; guest speaker Marc A. Scorca) Macbeth, Jan 12 at 1:30pm (brunch at 11:30am; guest speaker Marc A. Scorca) Hansel and Gretel (encore), Jan 26 at 1:30pm (brunch at 11:30am; guest speaker Fred Plotkin) Manon Lescaut, Feb 16 at 1pm (brunch at 11am; guest speaker Evans Mirageas) Peter Grimes, Mar 15 at 1:30pm (brunch at 11:30am; guest speaker Evans Mirageas) Tristan und Isolde, Mar 22 at 12:30pm (brunch at10:30am; guest speaker Fred Plotkin) La Bohème, Apr 5 at 1:30pm (brunch at 11:30am; guest speaker Marc A. Scorca) La Fille du Régiment, Apr 26 at 1:30pm (brunch at 11:30am; guest speaker Marc A. Scorca)

Sundance Institute at BAM From May 29–June 8, Sundance Institute returns to BAM for the third year with the best in new independent film straight from the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The series features an eclectic program of concerts, discussions, and special events highlighting the Institute’s work with innovative filmmakers, composers, and theater artists. The opening night film will once again be screened in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House.

For Tickets and Information For tickets to or information about the BAM 2008 Spring Season, call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100 or visit BAM.org

General admission tickets to BAM Rose Cinemas are $11. Tickets are $7.50 for students 25 and under (with valid I.D. Monday–Thursday, except holidays), seniors, children under twelve, and $7 for BAM Cinema Club members. Tickets are available at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office, by phone at 718.777.FILM (order by “name of movie” option), or online at BAM.org. 5

Happy Days New York Premiere by Samuel Beckett National Theatre of Great Britain Directed by Deborah Warner

Set design by Tom Pye Lighting design by Jean Kalman Sound score by Mel Mercier Sound design by Christopher Shutt Costume consultant Luca Costigliolo

BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St) Jan 8, 9*, 10—12, 15—19, 22—26, 29—31, Feb 1 and 2 at 7:30pm; Jan 12, 19, 26, and Feb 2 at 2pm; Jan 13, 20, and 27 at 3pm *press opening Tickets: $25, 45, 65, 75

BAMdialogue with Fiona Shaw Jan 10, post-show (free for same-day ticket holders)

“...a tour de force of wondrous invention and energy.” —The Daily Telegraph (U.K.)

Director Deborah Warner and actress Fiona Shaw—who riveted BAM audiences with the 2002 Next Wave Festival production of Medea—return with the National Theatre of Great Britain production of Samuel Beckett's existential masterpiece, Happy Days. Buried to above her waist and woken by a piercing bell, Winnie chatters away to her husband Willie (played by Tim Potter), who all but ignores her. She rummages in a bag, brushes her teeth, pulls out and kisses a gun, surrounded by blazing light and a scorched-earth landscape which, in the second act, becomes an even more futile post-apocalyptic scenario. The 1960 work is a darkly humorous look at the human condition.

In its 2007 run at the National’s Lyttelton Theatre, The Daily Telegraph cited “...brilliantly acted by Fiona Shaw, who delivers the dramatist’s potent stage poetry to perfection…wonderfully funny.” According to The Independent, “This production by Warner is a bracing new look at one of modern theatre's supremely eloquent images.” The Sunday Times raved, “One of the best Beckett performances I have seen.”

The production has been touring internationally to great critical acclaim since its successful run at the Royal National Theatre in early 2007. It was the first modern play to ever be performed in the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in Greece, and has since played to sold-out houses in Paris and Madrid.

Acclaimed theater and opera director Deborah Warner founded the KICK Theatre Company in 1980. For the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she began her long-time collaboration with Fiona Shaw in 1988, Warner directed Titus Andronicus (Laurence Olivier and Evening Standard Awards), King John, and Electra. Warner has directed productions for the Royal National Theatre (The Good Person of Sichuan, King Lear, Richard II, and The Powerbook); the Abbey Theatre (Hedda Gabler, which received Laurence Olivier Awards for Direction and Production); London’s Garrick Theatre (Samuel Beckett’s Footfalls); and has devised three installation pieces—The St. Pancras Project, The Tower Project (LIFT), and The Angel Project (Lincoln Center Festival). Warner’s production of The Waste Land with Fiona 6 Shaw toured worldwide and won two Drama Desk Awards; her production of Medea (also with Shaw) transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at BAM’s 2002 Next Wave Festival. She recently directed Julius Caesar at the Barbican, starring Ralph Fiennes, Simon Russell Beale, and Fiona Shaw. Warner directed the 1999 film The Last September, with Maggie Smith and Michael Gambon; and her opera credits include Wozzeck (Opera North), Don Giovanni and Fidelio (Glyndebourne), The Turn of the Screw (Royal Opera House; Evening Standard and South Bank Show Awards), The St. John Passion (English National Opera), and Death in Venice (English National Opera). She was named an Officier des Arts et des Lettres in 2000 and a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2006.

Internationally acclaimed actress Fiona Shaw attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Her theater credits include The Good Person of Sichuan (London Critics’ Award for Best Actress 1990), Machinal (Evening Standard and Olivier awards for Best Actress 1993), The Powerbook and the title roles in the controversial Richard II (directed by Deborah Warner) and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, all at the Royal National Theatre. For the Royal Shakespeare Company, her work includes Philistines, As You Like It, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Mephisto, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, and Electra (Laurence Olivier and London Critics’ Awards). At the Old Vic Theatre, Shaw has played Rosalind in As You Like It (Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress). Other theater credits include Julius Caesar at the Barbican, Footfalls at the Garrick Theatre, and The Waste Land (which toured internationally)—directed by Deborah Warner; Hedda Gabler (London Critics’ Award) at the Abbey Theatre and the Playhouse Theatre, London; and Robert Wilson’s Death, Destruction and Detroit III at Lincoln Center. Shaw’s films include Catch and Release,The Black Dahlia, My Left Foot, Three Men and a Little Lady, The Butcher Boy, The Avengers, The Last September, The Triumph of Love, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, and Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. Shaw holds honorary doctorates from the National University of Ireland and the Open University, and is an honorary professor of drama at Trinity College, Dublin. She also was awarded an Officier des Arts et des Lettres in 2000 and was made an honorary CBE in 2001.

Presented through special arrangement with Georges Borchardt, Inc., on behalf of the Estate of Samuel Beckett. Supported by Laura Pels Foundation.

Leadership support for BAM Theater is provided by The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc., The Shubert Foundation, Inc., The SHS Foundation, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and The Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust.

Mavis Staples

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave) Jan 22 at 8pm Tickets: $20, 30, 40

A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and one of VH1's “100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll,” Mavis Staples has blazed a rhythm & blues trail while never relinquishing her gospel roots. On January 22, in tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Staples will perform songs from her acclaimed CD We’ll Never Turn Back in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Produced by the legendary Ry Cooder, the CD combines raw, emotional, contemporized versions of some of the freedom songs that provided the soundtrack to the civil rights movement along with powerful originals. The New York Times called it, “bluesy, unvarnished, gutsy and knowing” and USA Today said “there are voices that never lose their resonance, and songs that never lose their relevance, Staples delivers both.”

Staples began her career with her family group, The Staple Singers in 1950, initially singing locally at churches and appearing on a weekly radio show. In 1956 the Staples scored a hit with “Uncloudy Day.” When Mavis graduated from high school in 1957, The Staple Singers took their music on the road. Led by family patriarch Roebuck “Pops” Staples on guitar and including the voices of Mavis and her siblings Cleo, Yvonne, and Pervis, the Staples were called “God's Greatest Hitmakers.”

7 With Mavis’ voice and Pops' writing, singing, and guitar playing, the Staples evolved from enormously popular gospel singers to one of the most influential spiritually-based groups in America. By the mid-1960s The Staple Singers, inspired by Pops’ close friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., became the spiritual and musical voices of the civil rights movement, covering contemporary pop hits with positive messages, including Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” and a version of Stephen Stills’ “For What It’s Worth.” Staples recorded her first solo album, Mavis Staples for the famed Stax label in 1969. After another Stax release, Only For the Lonely, in 1970, she released a soundtrack album, A Piece of the Action, on Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label. In addition to her solo albums, Staples has provided vocals on albums by Prince, Los Lobos, and Dr. John, and she appears on album tributes to Johnny Paycheck, Stephen Foster, and Bob Dylan.

In addition to her musical performance on Jan 22, Mavis Staples will serve as the keynote interview at BAM’s 22nd Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the morning of Jan 21. This annual event is free and takes place in the Howard Gilman Opera House.

Target is the presenting sponsor for Mavis Staples.

Macbeth U.S. Premiere

By William Shakespeare Chichester Festival Theatre Directed by Rupert Goold

Design by Anthony Ward Lighting design by Howard Harrison Music and sound design by Adam Cork Video and projection design by Lorna Heavey Movement director Georgina Lamb Fight director Terry King

BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St) February 12—March 22, 2008 Tickets: $30, 60, 90

Performance schedule: Feb 12* at 8pm; Feb 13† at 7:30pm; Feb 14–16, 19–23, 26–29 at 7:30pm; Mar 1, 4–8, 11–15, 18–22 at 7:30pm; Feb 16 & 23 at 2pm; Feb 17 & 24 at 3pm; Mar 1, 8, 15 & 22 at 2pm; Mar 2, 9 & 16 at 3pm *Macbeth: The Benefit—For information and tickets, contact BAM Patron Services at 718.636.4182 †press opening

BAMdialogue with Rupert Goold Feb 15 at 6pm BAM Hillman Attic Studio Tickets: $8 ($4 for Friends of BAM)

BAMdialogue with Patrick Stewart Feb 17, post-show (free for same-day ticket holders)

8 “Rupert Goold's Macbeth of a lifetime is almost permanently set in the vicinity of a kitchen sink and a refrigerator. It manages, though, freshly to convey the elemental sense of surprise, shock and supernatural horror that must have attended the tragedy's early 17th-century performances and has long since been lost.” —Evening Standard (U.K.)

Emmy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated actor Patrick Stewart boldly leads an ensemble of eighteen in the highly acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Directed by critically lauded Rupert Goold, Macbeth premiered on May 25, 2007 at the Chichester Festival Theatre’s Minerva Theatre where it played to sold-out houses. The production transferred to London’s West End on September 21, 2007 where it is currently enjoying a 10- week sold-out run at the Gielgud Theatre. BAM will present the production with a British cast that includes Michael Feast as Macduff, Kate Fleetwood as Lady Macbeth, Paul Shelly as Duncan, and Martin Turner as Banquo.

In one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest dramas, Stewart plays Macbeth—a man utterly determined to obtain the royal crown. Aided by his even more ambitious and ruthless wife, Macbeth murders the king and a comrade only to lose it all by the play’s end. The Times (UK) described Stewart’s performance as “entirely fresh, yet it calls to mind every despot from Stalin to Saddam. It’s the dark, throbbing heart of a production of blood, guts and brilliance.” Making his BAM debut, director Rupert Goold takes inspiration from Stalin and the Great Terror, setting his production within a subterranean kitchen that serves as a military hospital in a timeless and nameless country. Goold—whom The Independent on Sunday (UK) declared “…Britain’s hottest young director of Shakespeare…”—previously directed Stewart in a celebrated production of The Tempest for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Patrick Stewart began acting at the age of twelve and graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His early professional stage career—which began in 1959—included continual work with a number of British repertory companies across the UK. Stewart joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 and within a year was made an Associate Artist. Under the Artistic Direction of Trevor Nunn, he worked solely for the RSC—with the likes of Ben Kingsley, Helen Mirren, and Ian Richardson—in 33 productions until 1982. He made his Broadway and BAM debuts in 1971 as Snout in Peter Brook's legendary production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other theater credits include George C. Wolfe’s production of The Tempest; Arthur Miller’s The Ride Down Mt. Morgan; Shakespeare’s Othello; Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; and a one-man version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. On television he originated the role of Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Other television credits include Extras, Frasier, The Lion in Winter, A Christmas Carol, and Moby Dick. Films include three X-Men movies, four Star Trek films, Jeffrey, LA Story, Dune, Excalibur, and Hedda.

Theater and opera director Rupert Goold studied at Trinity College in Cambridge and is currently the Artistic Director of London’s Headlong Theatre. Productions for Headlong include Faustus, Restoration, and Paradise Lost. Recently, he directed Jessica Lange in the West End production of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. From 2002–2005, he was the artistic director of the Royal and Derngate Theatres in Northampton, UK where productions included Hamlet, Othello, Waiting for Godot, and Arcadia. Prior to that, he was Associate Artist at Salisbury Playhouse where he directed The End of the Affair, Dancing at Lughnasa, and the UK tour of Travels with My Aunt. He was a Trainee Director under Sam Mendes at the Donmar Warehouse from 1995–1996. His opera work includes Le Comte Ory (Garsington Opera), L’Opera Seria, Gli Equivoci, and Il Pomo D’Oro (Batignano).

Leadership support for BAM Theater is provided by The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc., The SHS Foundation, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and The Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust.

Brooklyn Next

Soulive BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave) Feb 15 at 8pm 9 Tickets: $20, 25

Citizen Cope BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave) Feb 16 at 8pm Tickets: $20, 25

The National BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave) Feb 22 at 8pm Tickets: $20, 25

Dan Zanes and Friends BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave) Feb 24 at 11am and 2pm Tickets: $15, 20

Brooklyn Next is a borough-wide celebration of Brooklyn’s own musical talent, comprising four mainstage events at BAM (including a family-friendly concert), three nights of music in BAMcafé, and off-site performances at a dozen venues on Brooklyn’s thriving club scene (details will be available on BAM.org).

Signed to the legendary Memphis soul label Stax Records, Soulive spins a groove-based funk, weaving elements of hip- hop and rock that have made them one of the most sought-after live acts around. The group features brothers Alan Evans (drums) and Neal Evans (Hammond B-3 organ), as well as Eric Krasno (guitar), and Toussaint (vocals). Their sixth and latest album No Place Like Soul was released in July 2007. The band has toured with The Roots, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, and Common and recorded with artists such as Talib Kweli, Robert Randolph, and Chaka Khan. The Los Angeles Times has said of the group, “Soulive transforms sounds of the past into a potent modern mix.”

An artist who cut his teeth as a DJ with cult hip-hop group Basehead, Citizen Cope (aka Clarence Greenwood) blends punchy rhymes into bluesy, southern reveries and up-tempo urban tableaux. Popmatters.com described his work as “cosmopolitan pop with an urban backdrop.” Born in Memphis, Citizen Cope is a multi-talented artist who, in addition to providing lead vocals and production, plays a variety of instruments including guitar, keyboards, and drum machines. Now based in Brooklyn, he has released four albums including Cope Citizen (1992), Citizen Cope (2002), The Clarence Greenwood Recordings (2004), and Every Waking Moment (2006) which reached #69 on the Billboard pop charts. His music has been included on the soundtracks for The Sentinel, Alpha Dog, Coach Carter, and on TV shows One Tree Hill and Scrubs.

Smart and sophisticated chamber rock ensemble The National’s music has been critically acclaimed for its textured orchestrations, flirtatious wit, and dark beauty. The Brooklyn-based band was formed in 1999 by Ohio friends Aaron Dessner (guitar, bass), Bryce Dessner (guitar), Scott Devendorf (guitar, bass), Bryan Devendorf (drums), and Matt Berninger (vocals). Spin has said of the band’s work, “The National traffic in poignant moments of heartbreak and regret, but pain has rarely sounded so beautiful or necessary.” Their latest album, Boxer was released in May 2007.

Dan Zanes, the former lead singer and songwriter for the celebrated roots rock band the Del Fuegos, has found his calling creating 21st-century, all-ages folk-rock music. On his children’s music label, Festival Five, Zanes has released eight albums with guests including Sheryl Crow, Philip Glass, Lou Reed, Suzanne Vega, and Debbie Harry. Dan Zanes and Friends, as the band is known, have toured the country extensively. Their latest album—the 2007 Grammy-award winning—Catch that Train features Kronos Quartet, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Father Goose, and Dan’s own mother-in- law, among others.

JP Morgan Chase is the title sponsor for Brooklyn Next. Brooklyn Next is made possible by a generous grant from The New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Nina Ananiashvili and the State Ballet of Georgia

Featuring Bolshoi Ballet principal Andrei Uvarov

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave) Feb 27 (Program A), Feb 29 (Program A), and Mar 1 (Program B) at 7:30pm; Mar 2 (Program B) at 3pm Tickets: $20, 40, 60, 70

[New Work] (Programs A&B) New York Premiere Choreography by Yuri Possokhov Music performed by the Urmuli Quintet

Chaconne (Programs A&B) Music by Christoph Willibald Gluck Choreography by George Balanchine Featuring the Orchestra of the Tbilisi Theatre of Opera and Ballet

[New Work] (Program A) New York Premiere Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky

Dreams about Japan (Program B) New York Premiere Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky Featuring percussionists from the Tbilisi Theatre of Opera and Ballet

BAM's 2008 Spring Season will feature the New York premiere engagement of The State Ballet of Georgia, led by Artistic Director—and celebrated ballerina—Nina Ananiashvili. Included in the company's two programs at BAM's Howard Gilman Opera House will be George Balanchine's Chaconne; a new work by San Francisco Ballet Choreographer-in-Residence/former Bolshoi Ballet dancer Yuri Possokhov (featuring live music by Georgia's Urmuli Quintet); and two ballets by Bolshoi Ballet Artistic Director/Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky—Dreams about Japan (featuring percussionists from the Tbilisi Theatre of Opera and Ballet), and a yet-untitled premiere. Ms. Ananiashvili will perform in two ballets on each date of the BAM engagement. Bolshoi Ballet principal Andrei Uvarov will dance in both performances of Dreams about Japan. Additional spring 2008 U.S. performances by State Ballet of Georgia will take place in Berkeley, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Chicago, Iowa City, and Minneapolis.

World-renowned dancer and Georgian Nina Ananiashvili took the helm of Georgia's dormant state ballet company in 2004 at the invitation of Mikhail Saakashvili, president of the newly-independent republic. Seeking to revitalize the nation, Saakashvili asked Ananiashvili to build a ballet company that would re-ignite Georgia's artistic pride. Ananiashvili, who continues an active international performing schedule of her own, has in three years created a highly respected company of 100 dancers. According to The New York Times, "...[Ananiashvili] has established a high standard of achievement," and Dance magazine has called the company's rebirth "...a triumph." State Ballet of Georgia's repertoire under Ananiashvili's direction has featured 23 new ballet productions from leading choreographers including Stanton Welch, Alexei Ratmansky, and Trey McIntyre. Their repertoire has also included Ashton's La Fille mal gardée; Lavrosky's Romeo and Juliet; Bournonville's Conservatoriat; Swan Lake and Don Quixote—both staged by Alexei Fadeyechev (State Ballet of Georgia's associate director and former director of the Bolshoi Ballet); and 10 ballets by Georgian native George Balanchine (né Balanchivadze). Two ballets by Jiří Kylián will be added next season. Ananiashvili has created a diverse repertoire of works by classical, neo-classical, and contemporary choreographers. She 11 has also been charged with the establishment of a first-rate ballet school, based at the company's home at Tbilisi's Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Forest City Ratner Companies is the presenting sponsor for Nina Ananiashvili and the State Ballet of Georgia. Major support for BAM Dance is provided by The Harkness Foundation for Dance and the SHS Foundation.

Benguelê and Breu Grupo Corpo Choreographed by Rodrigo Pederneiras

Benguelê (1998) New York Premiere Music by João Bosco Set design by Fernando Velloso and Paulo Pederneiras Costume design by Freusa Zechmeister Lighting design by Paulo Pederneiras

Breu (2007) New York Premiere Music by Lenine Costume design by Freusa Zechmeister Set and Lighting design by Paulo Pederneiras

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave) Mar 25, 27–29 at 7:30pm Tickets: $20, 35, 50, 60

BAMdialogue with Rodrigo Pederneiras Mar 27 at 6pm BAM Rose Cinemas Tickets: $8 ($4 for Friends of BAM)

Following its acclaimed performances at BAM as part of the 2002 and 2005 Next Wave Festivals, one of Brazil’s leading contemporary dance companies, Grupo Corpo, returns with the U.S. premiere of Breu (2007) and the New York premiere of Benguelê (1998). The works display the popular troupe’s Afro-Brazilian flavored fusion of ballet, jazz, and modern dance infused with the polyrhythms of Latin and African dance.

The evening opens with Benguelê, which draws heavily on Brazil’s African roots. Set to a commissioned score by João Bosco, Pederneiras blends capoeira, Brazilian folklore, and the dances of the Congado—a religious ritual developed by African slaves in Brazil—in this work for twenty-one dancers. Jornal do Brasil notes that “with its kicking pirouettes and gyrations, Grupo Corpo presents an emotional portrait of Brazilian culture.” The company’s newest piece, Breu, follows in its New York premiere. The piece features a dark score by multiple Latin Grammy-winner Lenine, who according to the The New York Times is “one of the brightest of his generation of eclectic folk-rock and electronic musicians.” The work showcases some of Pederneiras’ most aggressive and confrontational choreography to date with sudden falls and low earth-bound crouches and repetitions. Set within a stark, colorless environment, Pederneiras evokes extreme isolation, deathly inertia, and devastation.

Founded by Paulo Pederneiras in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 1975, Grupo Corpo has received widespread acclaim for its vibrant dances in which choreography, lighting, sets, and costumes interplay. Brothers Paulo and Rodrigo Pederneiras (artistic director and choreographer, respectively), Fernando Velloso (set designer), Freusa Zechmeister (costume designer), and the twenty-one member dance company strive to meld the past, present, and future of their native land into 12 an art that is unmistakably Brazilian. Making its third appearance at BAM, Grupo Corpo was previously presented as part of the 2002 and 2005 Next Wave Festivals. The New York Times has said of the company, “…energy is a synonym for Grupo Corpo. Hip-swiveling samba-like exuberance with ballet pirouettes and jetés.”

Major support for BAM Dance is provided by The Harkness Foundation for Dance and the SHS Foundation.

Sizwe Banzi Is Dead

The Baxter Theatre Centre By Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona

Directed by Aubrey Sekhabi Lighting design by Mannie Manim

BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St) Apr 8, 10–12, 15–19 at 7:30pm Apr 13 at 3pm Tickets: $25, 35, 50, 60

BAMdialogue with John Kani and Winston Ntshona Apr 10, post-show (free for same-day ticket holders)

BAMtalk: Theater in South Africa: The New Millennium Apr 12 at 3pm BAM Hillman Attic Studio Tickets: $10 ($5 for Friends of BAM)

“…an arresting & magnificent piece of drama.”—Herald (UK)

Following their success in Athol Fugard’s maverick 1973 South African play The Island (BAM 2003 Spring season), Tony Award-winning actors John Kani and Winston Ntshona return with Sizwe Banzi Is Dead. Set in apartheid South Africa, the work’s collaboration between black and whites created controversy at its 1972 Cape Town premiere. The play is now reprised with its original cast. Sizwe Banzi is Dead tells the story of a man ordered to leave a district because he lacks the proper permit. He trades his name for a number and begins life as a dead man, wreaking havoc with his identity and sense of right and wrong. Delicately balancing humor and pathos, the work offers both a psychological history of the apartheid nightmare and timeless parables of the dehumanizing paradoxes of power.

The play was revived by the Baxter Theatre Centre at the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa in June 2006, and transferred to London’s National Lyttelton Theatre in March 2007. The Independent (U.K.) called it “a comic, touching but fiercely political work about the impossibility of life under apartheid and the pass law. A pleasure to watch and a perfectly balanced double act. Catch this piece of theatrical and political history while you can.”

Athol Fugard was born in Middleburg in the Eastern Cape and grew up in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Recognized as one of South Africa’s most prolific writers and directors, Time magazine called him “the greatest active playwright in the English-speaking world.” Fugard’s list of plays include No-Good Friday, Nongogo, The Blood Knot, Hello and Goodbye, The Coat, “Master Harold”…and the Boys, Valley Song, and Booitjie and the Oubaas, among others. His Valley Song had its world premiere in Cape Town as an opera in 2005. The acclaimed movie Tsotsi, based on his novel, won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2006. His awards include an Obie in 1970 for best foreign play, a London Evening Standard Award for Best Play in 1983, and a 1999 Audie Award. 13

John Kani is an internationally recognized, multiple award-winning actor, director, and playwright. He has collaborated extensively with Fugard on plays including Sizwe Bansi Is Dead and The Island. His other theater credits include Blood Knot, Waiting for Godot, Playland, and My Children! My Africa! In addition to his stage work, Kani has appeared in films such as Dry White Season, and The Grass Is Singing, as well as two films written by Fugard—Marigolds in August and “Master Harold”…and the Boys. His awards include an Obie in 1993 for his extraordinary contribution to theater and a Fleur du Cap award for best actor in 2002.

Winston Ntshona is widely regarded as one of South Africa’s finest and most distinguished actors. The Guardian (U.K.) has described him as “astonishing” and the Evening Standard (U.K.) praised him as “unreservedly superb.” In addition to his work with Fugard and Kani, his theater credits include The Trials of Brother Jero, The Death of Bessie Smith, and Full Frontal. His film roles include Dry White Season, Malunde, I Dreamed of Africa, and Blood Diamond, among others. Ntshona was awarded the Rapport Oskar for Best Actor in Marigolds in August in 1980. He was awarded an Obie in 1993 for his extraordinary contribution to theater.

DanceAfrica 2008 Bridge to Cultural Rejuvenation & Enlightenment

Artistic Director Chuck Davis Lighting Design William H. Grant III

Ceesay Kujabi and the Bachinab Giwayen Mata LaRocque Bey School of Dance Theatre, Inc. and BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave) May 23 at 7:30pm May 24 at 2pm & 7:30pm May 25 & 26 at 3pm Tickets: $20, 30, 40, 45 (Half price for children 16 and under)

DanceAfrica Bazaar: GGMC parking lots at Lafayette Avenue and Ashland Place, May 24 from 12 noon– 10pm; May 25 from 12 noon–8pm; May 26 from 12 noon–8pm; free admission

BAM’s longest running performance series—and one of America’s largest and most vibrant celebrations of African and African American dance, music, and culture—continues with the 31st annual DanceAfrica festival. Created in 1977 to heighten awareness of African culture, the festival has evolved into a positive, high-spirited Memorial Day Weekend tradition that brings together the entire community. Under the artistic direction of Founding Elder Chuck Davis, DanceAfrica 2008 Bridge to Cultural Rejuvenation & Enlightenment features the DanceAfrica debuts of visiting Gambian company Ceesay Kujabi and the Bachinab, and Giwayen Mata, and the return of LaRocque Bey School of Dance Theatre, Inc., and the BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble.

The week-long celebration, centered around the dance performances at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, also includes the popular outdoor DanceAfrica Bazaar with over 200 vendors featuring crafts, food, and fashion; a free sculpture exhibition (in the BAM park between Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street at St. Felix Street); a film series at BAM Rose Cinemas; an outdoor performance stage, and an African dance party at BAMcafé with live music. 14

Ceesay Kujabi and the Bachinab—one of the premiere dance troupes in The Gambia—perform high-energy traditional dances under the direction of former Gambia National Dance Troupe principal Ceesay Kujabi. The award-winning, Atlanta-based women’s dance, percussion, and vocal ensemble Giwayen Mata present traditional and contemporary works that celebrate women, local communities, and the environment. Founded in 1960, Harlem-based LaRocque Bey School of Dance Theatre, Inc—the oldest African Dance School in the U.S.—showcase its unique fusion of African, Caribbean, Brazilian, and North American dance forms. An annual favorite as well as a symbol of youth involvement in the preservation of African heritage, the BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble returns for its twelfth year.

Continuing his mission to preserve and illuminate a distinct African artistic, spiritual, and cultural identity, DanceAfrica’s Artistic Director Chuck Davis brings diverse ensembles together to explore the African Diaspora and its influence on everyday, urban society. Under Davis’ leadership, BAM produced the first DanceAfrica in 1977, creating the nation’s first festival devoted to the rich legacy of African dance. Echoing the success of BAM’s festival, cities such as Chicago and Washington, DC now host annual DanceAfrica celebrations.

DanceAfrica 2008 is part of Diverse Voices at BAM presented by Time Warner Inc.

Major support for BAM Dance is provided by The Harkness Foundation for Dance and the SHS Foundation.

Il matrimonio segreto Music by Domenico Cimarosa Conducted by Paul Goodwin Directed by Jonathan Miller

Orchestra: Brooklyn Philharmonic

Libretto by Giovanni Bertati

Set design by John Conklin Costume design by Claire Mitchell Lighting design by Robert Wierzel

In Italian with English titles

BAM Harvey Theater (651 Fulton St) May 28, 29, 31, June 3 & 4 at 7:30pm; June 1 at 3pm Tickets: $30, 55, 80, 90

BAMdialogue with Jonathan Miller May 29 at 6pm BAM Hillman Attic Studio Tickets: $8 ($4 for Friends of BAM)

A central figure in late 18th century Italian comic opera, Domenico Cimarosa (a contemporary of Mozart) enjoyed great popular success in his lifetime. Il matrimonio segreto (1792)—a two-act opera for six characters—is considered his masterpiece. This humorous cautionary tale about the consequences of keeping secrets features complex vocal ensemble scenes (the composer's hallmark), beautiful melodies, and a witty libretto by Giovani Bertati.

In the hands of director Jonathan Miller—who returns to BAM following critically acclaimed productions of Bach's St. Matthew Passion (Spring 1997, 2001, 2006) and Mozart's Così fan tutte (Spring 2003)—human nature is always keenly observed. Miller’s production of Il matrimonio segreto—presented at BAM in its U.S. premiere—is set in the work’s 15 original 18th-century period and features the Brooklyn Philharmonic under the direction of Paul Goodwin (conductor of Miller’s recent St. Matthew Passion).

Director Jonathan Miller’s career spans many different fields: author, lecturer, television producer and presenter, and director of theater, opera, and film. At the English National Opera, Miller directed some of his most enduring successes— The Mikado, Rigoletto, The Marriage of Figaro, The Turn of the Screw, Rosenkavalier, and Carmen. He has also directed operas for La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, and Glimmerglass Opera. Miller’s theatrical career has included many memorable productions—The Merchant of Venice with Sir Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright, The Taming of the Shrew (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Seagull (Chichester Festival Theatre), A Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Haymarket Theatre), and The Emperor (Royal Court). Between 1988 and 1990, as artistic director of the Old Vic, Miller directed a number of highly- acclaimed productions including Andromache with Janet Suzman, The Tempest with Max von Sydow, King Lear, and Corneille’s comedy, The Liar. Recently, Miller directed La Clemenza di Tito in Zurich, Don Pasquale at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Così fan tutte at Seattle Opera, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo in Manchester and Bristol, and Der Rosenkavalier in Tokyo.

Paul Goodwin is one of Britain’s most versatile conductors, renowned for his historically informed interpretations of baroque, classical, and romantic music, while also being a great advocate for contemporary music. Goodwin is Associate Conductor of the Academy of Ancient Music, with whom he has toured and recorded extensively (three of AAM’s recordings have been nominated for Grammy and Gramophone Awards). Paul Goodwin is a regular guest conductor with Kammerorchester Basel and with Sudwest Rundfunk Orchester Kaiserslautern, and served as the principal guest conductor of the English Chamber Orchestra for six years, collaborating with artists including Kiri Te Kanawa, Joshua Bell, and Mstislav Rostropovich. In the U.S., Goodwin has conducted the Minnesota Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC. He has conducted operas including Mozart’s Figaro and Il Re Pastore at Opera North; Idomeneo in Graz; Monteverdi’s L’Incoronatione di Poppea in Athens; Handel’s Orlando at the Flanders Opera, and Haydn’s Orfeo in Madrid. This season Goodwin will conduct Britten’s Rape of Lucretia at Teatro Real in Madrid.

American Express Company is the presenting sponsor of Il matrimonio segreto

Support for BAM Opera is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fund, Ronald P. Stanton, The Isak & Rose Weinman Foundation, Inc.

The Joyce Theater presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at BAM

JUDITH JAMISON ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Masazumi Chaya ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Program A Classic Ailey Jun 3 & 6 at 7:30pm Jun 8 at 3pm & 7:30pm

Program B Best Of Jun 4 & 5 at 7:30pm Jun 7 at 2pm & 7:30pm

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave) 16 Tickets: $20, 40, 60, 70 718.636.4100 or BAM.org

Q&A with Judith Jamison and Camille A. Brown (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) Jun 5, post-show (free for same-day ticket holders)

The Joyce Theater is thrilled to collaborate for the first time with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in presenting Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) in two exhilarating programs at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (30 Lafayette Ave), from June 3–June 8, 2008.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has dazzled audiences from New York City to South Africa and China with unparalleled artistry and now returns to BAM, for the first time in over 35 years, in a season presented by The Joyce Theater. The “Classic Ailey” program, dedicated to choreography by Alvin Ailey, will feature the revival of Masekela Langage, a masterpiece which hasn’t been performed in a decade, as well as the incomparable Revelations, a galvanizing tour de force celebrating African American cultural heritage that ranks as one of modern dance’s most affecting and beloved works. The “Best Of” program includes selections from AAADT’s dynamic repertory (including Revelations) as well as The Groove To Nobody’s Business by emerging choreographer Camille A. Brown (commissioned in part by The Joyce Theater). Urban, athletic, and engaging, this explosive new work plants Ailey’s vision firmly in the 21st century, ensuring that AAADT’s future will be as rich as its past.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), America’s Cultural Ambassador to the World, grew from a now fabled March 1958 performance in New York that changed forever the perception of American dance. Today, led by Artistic Director Judith Jamison, AAADT has performed for an estimated 21 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on 6 continents, including two historic residencies in South Africa, promoting the uniqueness of the African American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance. Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. is the umbrella organization which includes AAADT; Ailey II (1974), a junior performing company of emerging young dancers and innovative choreographers; The Ailey School (1969), one of the most extensive dance training programs in the world; Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs, which brings dance into the classrooms, communities and lives of people of all ages; and The Ailey Extension, dance and fitness classes for the general public.

Now in its 25th Anniversary Season, The Joyce Theater has come to be considered one of the premiere dance venues in the world. The Joyce Foundation’s second facility, Joyce SoHo, houses three exceptional studios that are available to choreographers and small dance companies at highly subsidized rate for rehearsals and performances. A broad based national and international dance community relies upon The Joyce for a wide variety of services and educational programs, including commissioning, artist residencies and dance education programs in the public schools. The mission of The Joyce is to serve and support the art of dance and choreography, to promote the richness and variety of the art form in its fullest expression, and to advance the public interest in, and appreciation of, dance and the allied arts of music, design, and theater.

A Q&A with Judith Jamison and Camille A. Brown (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) will take place following the June 5 performance (free for same-day ticket holders). For more information, visit Joyce.org or BAM.org.

Major support for this presentation was provided by Altria Group, Inc. Additional support, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; and by The Harkness Foundation for Dance

Credits: BAM 2008 Spring Season is sponsored by Bloomberg. Programming in the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House is supported and endowed by The Howard Gilman Foundation. Programming in the BAM Harvey Theater is endowed by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Brooklyn Next is made possible by a generous grant from The New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. JP Morgan Chase is the title sponsor for Brooklyn Next.

17 Target is the presenting sponsor for Mavis Staples. Sizwe Banzi Is Dead and DanceAfrica 2008 are part of Diverse Voices at BAM presented by Time Warner Inc. Forest City Ratner Companies is the presenting sponsor for Nina Ananiashvili and the State Ballet of Georgia.

Leadership support for BAM Theater is provided by The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc., The Shubert Foundation, Inc., The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and The Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust. Major support for BAM Dance is provided by The Harkness Foundation for Dance. BAM Theater and BAM Dance presentations are generously supported by The SHS Foundation. Support for BAM Opera is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ronald P. Stanton, The Isak & Rose Weinman Foundation, Inc. Sovereign Bank is the BAM Marquee sponsor.

BAM 2008 Spring Season supporters include: The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation; New York City Council; Estate of Richard B. Fisher; The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.; The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; The Ford Foundation; The Starr Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Kovner Foundation; Booth Ferris Foundation; The Norman & Rosita Winston Foundation, Inc.; The Skirball Foundation; Altman Foundation; The Jerome Robbins Foundation, Inc.; The Isak & Rose Weinman Foundation, Inc.; The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; The Florence Gould Foundation; Geoffrey C. Hughes Foundation; The Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust; Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation Inc.; The Ambrose Monell Foundation; Target; Vital Projects Fund; CA, Inc.; New York State Assembly Brooklyn Delegation; Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; The Reed Foundation; Henry & Lucy Moses Fund, Inc.; Rose M. Badgeley Residuary Charitable Trust; Morgan Stanley; Goldman, Sachs & Co.; The Scherman Foundation, Inc.; Estate of Martha Zalles; Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund; Friends of BAM and BAM Cinema Club.

R/GA is the BAM.org sponsor. Yamaha is the official piano for BAM. New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is the official hotel for BAM. Sharp Electronics Corporation is BAM’s Consumer Electronics Partner. BAM Lounge Furniture Provider is west elm.

BAM Visionary Members include: Susan Baker & Michael Lynch; William I. Campbell & Christine Wächter-Campbell; Charles & Valerie Diker; Jeanne Donovan Fisher; Judith R. & Alan H. Fishman; Agnes Gund & Daniel Shapiro; The Kovner Foundation; Carole & Irwin Lainoff; Diane & Adam E. Max; Jim & Mary Ottaway; The Reed Foundation; Martha A. & Robert S. Rubin; The SHS Foundation; Ronald P. Stanton; The Robert W. Wilson Foundation, Inc.

BAMcafé Live is sponsored by ConEdison, with additional support provided by Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. BAMcafé piano provided by Deutsche Bank. Programming in BAM Lepercq Space is supported by The Lepercq Foundation. Leadership support for BAMcinématek is provided by Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg Charitable Trust. Major sponsors for BAMcinématek are HIP & Freelancers Union. MetLife Foundation is the presenting sponsor for BAM Family and BAM Humanities programs. Bloomberg is the presenting sponsor for Eat, Drink & Be Literary. Pine Ridge Wine is generously donated by Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg. The New York Times Community Affairs Department is the media sponsor.

Your tax dollars make BAM programs possible through funding from the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts. The BAM facilities are owned by the City of New York and benefit from public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with support from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; the New York City Council including Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Cultural Affairs Committee Chair Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., the Brooklyn Delegation of the Council, and Councilwoman Letitia James; Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz; and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin.

General Information

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas, BAMcafé, and Shakespeare & Co. BAMshop are located in the Peter Jay Sharp building at 30 Lafayette Avenue (between St Felix Street and Ashland Place) in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. BAM Harvey Theater is located two blocks from the main building at 651 Fulton Street (between Ashland and Rockwell Places). BAM Rose Cinemas is Brooklyn’s only movie house dedicated to first-run independent and foreign film and repertory programming. BAMcafé, operated by Great Performances, is open for dining prior to Howard Gilman Opera House performances. BAMcafé also features an eclectic mix of spoken word and live music for BAMcafé Live nights on Friday and Saturday with a special BAMcafé Live menu available starting at 8pm. Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, Q, B to Atlantic Avenue; D, M, N, R to Pacific Street; G to Fulton Street; C to Lafayette Avenue Train: Long Island Railroad to Flatbush Avenue Bus: B25, B26, B41, B45, B52, B63, B67 all stop within three blocks of BAM Car: Commercial parking lots are located adjacent to BAM

For ticket and BAMbus information, call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100, or visit BAM.org. 18

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